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Although there is no handbook that teaches us how to deal with grief, here is some well-meaning advice from someone’s been through it.
I experienced my first major loss at the age of 11 when my father passed away, and then it was my grandmother who made a transition to ‘the other side’, and later in life I parted ways with the person I loved deeply. Here are some things I learnt when dealing with my grief.
When my father expired, my family was told that we’ve got to move on. So we started to live and behave as if it was all okay, and now as I look back, I see that it had caused us the most distress. Over the years it reflected as conflicts in relationships and personal emotions.
No matter how wise or strong you are, there are times when we all feel broken, we all cry and we are just not okay. The greatest fallacy of our society is that it teaches us to deny pain. We want that feeling of sadness to go away; but run all you might, it will come back stronger and faster. It’s alright to cry as much as you want to about it. Do not suppress or deny what you feel, that will only cut your wound deeper.
Motivational speaker Iyanla Vanzant says, “If you argue against reality, you will always lose.” I’d say, we not only lose, we get battered and in the end fall straight on our faces.
We are vulnerable when we are grieving or mourning. This is not the time to compare yourself to others or judge your incapability of getting back to normalcy. Just remind yourself that there is a difference between before and after, and that you are going through a phase. No one else can predict how long the healing will take, not even you. Grief can bring along with it five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. You are only healed when you accept it in your heart. Everyone has their own ways and take their own time to deal with grief.
Nothing heals us better than communing with nature. Have a walk in the park, water the plants or go to any place where nature is abundant. Nature has its innate capacity to heal. It will always end up soothing your heart and making your mind clearer.
Seeking out professional help does not mean that you are incapable of handling yourself. It means you are brave enough to acknowledge your situation. When I knew that my separation with my partner was too much for me too handle all by myself, I sought help of a counsellor. And you know what—it did wonders for me. At times of grief, our minds get clouded. A professional helps us see more clearly so that we can deal with our emotions more effectively. Also, there is nothing more comfortable than knowing that you are supported in your grief and you are not alone in this world.
Everyone has something that they enjoy doing so much that they forget everything else. Whatever that activity is for you, indulge in it, even if only for a while. It can be cooking, dancing, driving or anything you loved doing as a child. For me it is writing. I pen down my thoughts, I write a story, a poem or even a letter. It heals me from within. I know someone whose passion was playing basketball and during down time she not only started playing it more often, but also took to coaching street children. I saw her grow as a human being and heal herself through her favourite sport. Sometimes grief has its own way of showing us new paths.
It’s sad but true that often, to escape the pain, we indulge in compulsive behaviour. It can be anything from getting violent to substance abuse to extreme sexual activities or just being mean and spiteful to others. A girl from my circle of friends, whenever hit by a low, would indulge in sexual activities with random strangers. When we friends tried to talk sense to her about the risks of her actions, she would verbally abuse us. Even though we loved her a lot, her abuses got too much for us to take and we drifted apart. This left her feeling alone and isolated.
Also, if we have someone who advises us or gives us a patient hearing during our moments of despair, we must consider ourselves fortunate that there’s someone who cares enough and treat them with respect. Directing our anger towards them will only intensify our misery.
This is something that has worked always. We breathe without effort. Till that breath is there, we can assure ourselves that there is a higher power that is looking after us. Have faith that if you have come here, you have all the power to make it out of here too. This too shall pass. And it always does.
Grief is something that strikes everyone unawares, despite our best prayers. I believe that grief always leaves us with gems along the way. Trust the process. You will be fine.
First published in Complete Wellbeing Magazine
Cover image via Shutterstock
Proud Indian. Senior Writer at Women's Web. Columnist. Book Reviewer. Street Theatre - Aatish. Dreamer. Workaholic. read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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